Member Article

Jobs created as Royal Insurance building becomes new Aloft Liverpool hotel

Almost 50 jobs have been created through the transformation of the former Royal Insurance Building into a new Aloft Liverpool hotel.

It is the conclusion of an £18 million investment project to regenerate and preserve Liverpool’s Grade II listed Royal Insurance Building. The development has been led by Ashall Property who worked alongside Liverpool City Council and English Heritage to transform the neglected building into a modern hotel.

Located on the corner of Dale Street and North John Street, the project has created 48 jobs – with 91 percent of the posts being secured by local people.

Councillor Nick Small, Cabinet member for employment and skills, said: “This scheme is a real win-win for the city as it has brought back into use a beautiful building that has lain derelict for many years while at the same time securing fantastic employment opportunities for local people.

“This has been a really innovative partnership between the council, the developer and the operator which has enabled us to make good use of local labour and, through our Liverpool In Work employment team, make sure that as many of the jobs as possible have gone to local people.”

Aloft Liverpool is the fourth Aloft hotel in Europe and second in the UK, with five more slated to open across Europe in the next three years. Part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts company, Aloft Liverpool is managed by Redefine | BDL hotels, the leading hotel management company in the UK managing a diverse collection of branded and private label hotel properties across the UK and Africa.

Colin Bennett, Area Manager UK & Ireland, Starwood Hotels & Resorts said,: “Aloft is enjoying tremendous global growth fuelled by the enthusiasm of travellers who want great design and a fresh, fun atmosphere.

“Aloft Liverpool perfectly illustrates how we can transform a once derelict, historic building, into a world-class hotel and bring new life into the local area.

“We are extremely proud of what has been achieved and feel confident that both the local community and visitors to Liverpool alike will embrace the transformation of this much-loved building.”

Helder Pereira, CEO, Redefine|BDL Hotels said: “We’re thrilled to be managing such an iconic property, in the exciting city of Liverpool. Aloft Liverpool’s modern guest experience is set to energise the hotel scene in the city by offering an appealing new option to the next generation of travellers.”

Mark Ashall, Director of Ashall Property said: “The opening of the Aloft is the culmination of four years’ work on the project by Ashall Property and our development team.

“We are proud to have completed a stunning renovation of one of Liverpool’s most iconic buildings which has seen it being taken off the ‘at risk’ register and brought back into productive use.

“This has been a very challenging project and we would like to record our appreciation to Liverpool Council and all the other parties who contributed to its successful conclusion.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .